Biggest Bridesmaid Dilemmas: Solved!

How to handle sticky situations with grace, including what to do when you can't afford to buy the dress that the bride wants, you're the only bridesmaid who isn't close with the rest of the girls, and more.

It's a huge honor to be a maid of honor or a bridesmaid, and you'll experience many fantastic moments as a member of the bride's VIP circle. However, with so many different tasks to complete, purchases to make, and personalities to deal with, bridesmaids may have to solve some etiquette challenges before they can pop those champagne corks just yet.

You don't want to let the bride down or battle with the other 'maids...but you also have to look out for yourself so that you don't wind up in a financial mess or other big drama. Here, smart solutions to your toughest questions (that you've always secretly wished you could ask!).

bride and 2 bridesmaids
Photo Credit: Segerius Bruce Photography from Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly

1. The bride picked out a bridesmaids dress you can't afford 
2. You're asked to contribute towards the bridal shower or bachelorette party, but the suggested amount is too high 
3. You live in a different state and can't attend a pre-wedding party, but the bridesmaids expect you to help pay for it anyway 
4. Everyone has their heart set on a girls' getaway, but you don't have the budget for it 


1. You're being asked for your opinion way too often 
2. The MOH or other bridesmaids never include you in anything 
3. The MOH tries to take credit for your ideas 


1. Green-with-envy bridesmaids 
2. A bridesmaid who tries to run the show 
3. What to do when you're the "outsider" of the group 


1. The bride wants one thing for her bridal shower, but her mom wants something totally different 
2. The bride is too obsessed with her wedding 
3. The bride can never make up her opinion about what she wants, and it's affecting the bridesmaids' planning 

bridesmaid on a budget

 

 

Sharon Naylor is the author of Bridesmaid on a Budget: How to be a Brilliant Bridesmaid Without Breaking the Bank, sharonnaylor.net.

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